By Amanda Lubinski
ALubinski@cherryroad.com

CLAY COUNTY — In a last-minute hearing Friday, Feb. 14, Andrew Lester, 86, who was scheduled to go to trial next week in the shooting case of Ralph Yarl, accepted a plea deal and changed his plea.

Lester was originally charged following the 2023 shooting with felony armed criminal action and felony first-degree assault following Yarl being shot twice, once in the forehead and once in the arm. Lester pleaded not guilty to those charges.

Under the plea deal, Lester pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of second-degree assault. He faces up to 1 to seven years in prison. Sentencing will be March 7.

What lead to the shooting & trial

Yarl, who was unarmed and 16 at the time of the shooting, went to Lester’s house on Northeast 115th Street in Kansas City by mistake around 10 p.m. April 13, 2023 to pick up his younger siblings from a play date. Yarl was supposed to have gone to a house about a block away on Northeast 115th Terrace.

Yarl survived the shooting, but sustained a brain injury that resulted in a lengthy recovery and lingering side effects.

It was expected for Lester to fight the charges against him, with his defense arguing last month in what was thought to be the last pre-trial conference before the trial, that Yarl was “hiding essential facts” and only changed his story about opening the storm door after police told him they would check for fingerprints.

Yarl initially told investigators he rang the doorbell at Lester’s house and did not open the storm door, but later said he did open the storm door after Lester was opening the front door, thinking he’d be welcomed in as he did not know he was at the wrong address.

Clay County Prosecutor Zach Thompson rebuffed the defense’s claim, saying when Yarl was first interviewed by investigators, it was 24 hours after the shooting while he was still in the hospital after surgery and while he was medicated.

Thompson argued Lester shot Yarl through the locked storm door and that he did “not have the right to shoot an unarmed kid two times.”

The shooting sparked outrage across the Northland, leading to protests and garnering national and international media attention, which lead Lester’s defense to seek the case being sealed, saying Lester could not get a fair trial otherwise. In the wake of the shooting, Lester’s home was defaced with spray paint and he received death threats, his defense said.

Lester’s attorney, Steve Salmon, also filed a motion in August arguing Lester was not fit to stand trial. In court documents, Salmon said Lester’s mental health declined due to media attention, death threats and separation from his wife. In November, the judge ruled Lester was fit to stand trial.

In his 911 call to police, Lester admitted to shooting Yarl, telling the dispatcher he was alone in the house and saw a 6-foot-tall Black man at the door. Lester is heard on the call saying someone rang, “my damn doorbell and he wanted in my house and I shot him.”

Neighbors testified to seeing a car in Lester’s driveway around 9:30 p.m. the night of the shooting and that it was “highly unusual” as Lester hadn’t had visitors in a long time. Neighbors also testified to hearing gunshots and then seeing a Black male or teen running away from Lester’s house “hysterically screaming” he’d been shot. Three neighbors testified they were initially scared to go outside because they did not know what was going on and if the shooter was still outside.

Investigators testified Lester was cooperative during the investigation, that he told detectives he was scared and feared he “couldn’t stand up to him,” referring to the person at his door. Yarl is of slender build and about 5-foot-10.

Investigators also testified Lester said he didn’t know what the person at his door wanted, but that he seemed concerned about the person he shot, asking about the victim’s condition.

Salmon classified his client’s actions as self-defense. In his closing statement during the preliminary hearing, the defense attorney noted Lester is an elderly man in poor health who was home alone and not expecting visitors at the time of the incident. He said Lester had a “split second” to make a decision as he encountered a stranger who said nothing to him and pulled on his storm door handle.

Civil lawsuit

In addition to criminal charges filed against Lester, Yarl’s family sued him, his homeowner’s insurance company and his subdivision’s HOA in civil court, claiming Lester was negligent and careless.

The suit was filed, also in Clay County Circuit Court, by Yarl’s mother, Cleo Nagbe. The shooting, Yarl’s mother wrote in a release statement at the time of the lawsuit, not only “shattered our family, but also exposed a critical gap in our societal fabric, where the safety of our children is jeopardized by reckless actions.”

“Through this civil suit, we aim to spark a dialogue on the importance of responsible gun ownership and community safety measures of using words, not weapons. It’s not just about seeking financial compensation; it’s about holding all parties involved accountable and ensuring that steps are taken to prevent such tragedies from occurring again,” Nagbe wrote.

By including the Highland Acres Homes Association, Inc. in the suit, Nagbe said it “underscores the importance of collective responsibility in safeguarding our communities.”

“Their knowledge of a potentially dangerous individual in the neighborhood without taking adequate precautions is unacceptable,” Nagbe wrote of the HOA. “This case is not just about seeking justice for Ralph, but about advocating for systemic changes that prioritize the safety and well-being of all children.”

That suit was settled for $100,000.